Rehab professionals can help you work out ways of dealing with some of the common problems MS can cause and support you to draw up practical goals for living the way you want to. On these pages some of the UK’s leading experts talk about how MS rehab has changed over the years and how it can help you today

This June the MS Trust is bringing RIMS, Europe’s largest conference on MS rehabilitation, to the UK for the first time. We hope this will be a big step towards better rehab services for everyone affected by MS. But what exactly is MS rehab? In this special feature we speak to health professionals and people with MS to find out how it could work for you.

I am 67 years old and I have had MS for over 30 years. I live with my husband who is nearly 80. Thankfully he is fit and well and between us we manage most things. He does the cooking and housework but I help with the dusting. I have been in a wheelchair for many years but can stand on a turning aid, with my husband’s help, to go to the toilet or get into bed or the car. However, my standing had been getting much worse and moving me from one place to another was getting very difficult for my husband.

MS rehab services vary depending on where you live. If you have an MS nurse, they are often the best people to ask what’s available locally. If you have an MS therapy centre near you they might also be able to help you find a physiotherapist or other rehab professionals. You might need a referral from your GP to access some of these services.

The MS Therapy Centre in Norwich, like many therapy centres around the UK, offers a range of rehab services that could support you to continue living a full, active life. Wendy Hendrie works at the centre as an MS Specialist Physiotherapist. Here she explains exactly what practical support she can offer and the difference it can make.